#237 - QUITTER BY JON ACUFF

Quit perfect. It’s an unnecessary obstacle. Chase the idea of your dream being better finished at 90 percent than perfect and not pursued. – Jon Acuff

Quit perfect.

I love that phrase.

So many times…

Perfection prevents you from pursuing.
Perfection prevents you from producing.
Perfection prevents you from persisting.

Quit perfect.

I’m convinced…

Your desire to achieve perfection is typically your excuse to enjoy procrastination.

So what does quitting perfect look like?

Sharing your art before all the imperfections have been removed.
Talking about your ideas before all the details have been figured out. 
Pursuing your dreams before all the the plans have been put in place.

Quit perfect.

It’s an illusion you will never attain.

#236 - YOUR DREAM DESERVES THIS

If you’re not working with a team, you’re missing out.

Missing out on…

The joy of camaraderie.
The power of collaboration.
The benefits of a focused role.
The necessity of accountability.
The possibility of a group victory.

If you’re not working with a team, you are lacking one of the most necessary components of seeing a dream come to pass.

Realize…

Your ideas are not enough.
Your smarts are not enough.
Your abilities are not enough.

Therefore embrace the idea of a team.

Your dream deserves one.

#234 - A COUPLE THINGS ON MY MIND

Here are a couple things I’m thinking about today…

1. TIME FLIES.

It seemed like just yesterday when my little sister was my “little” sister. But the truth is, today she graduated from high school – she is not little anymore.

With that said, I have never been more aware of how quickly the days, weeks, months and years pass by. It forces me to ask myself the question…

Am I wasting my time or am I stewarding my days wisely?

2. BEING A CRITIC IS NOT ADMIRABLE.

It is so easy to criticize others – to point out deficiencies in their character, issues with their style, shortcomings in their theology and frustrations with their personality.

But critics are just no fun to be around.

And so with that in mind, to the best of my ability, I desire to rid myself of my critical nature. Especially as it relates to criticizing other people who are doing the best they can with what they know. The following question will keep my criticism levels in check…

What do I spend the majority of my day doing? Criticizing or encouraging?

#233 - A VERY BIG DAY

Tomorrow is an important day.

My kid sister is graduating from high school (Congratulations sis!), and I have been given the high honor of giving her commencement address.

Though I am very excited for her, if I’m being honest, I’m pretty nervous for myself.

Will I be inspiring?
Will I say the right things?
Will my talk even be remembered?

The answers to these questions I do not know, but I do know this…

I am going to do my very best.

To give a high school commencement address is a dream come true, but to do it for my one and only sister, whom I’m so proud of, is such a blessing!

I am very much looking forward to all that God has in store for her, me and the rest of her graduating class tomorrow!

Your prayers are appreciated!

#232 - A KEY ELEMENT OF GREATNESS

To be great is to be misunderstood. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Misunderstood ideas?
Misunderstood hopes?
Misunderstood dreams?
Misunderstood purposes?
Misunderstood intentions?

Do people not understand why you do the things you do?

It’s OK. I understand how you feel.

And my belief is,

If you continue to stand for that which many do not yet understand…

Greatness will be your reality.

#231 - WHY QUANTITY IS BETTER THAN QUALITY

Quantity leads to quality. – Jon Acuff

Do you desire to have…

A stronger body? Do more exercise.
A best-selling book? Write more pages.
A higher GPA? Turn in more homework.
A widely read blog? Create more content.
A larger fan base? Make more connections.
A highly developed skill? Put in more practice.
A very intimate relationship? Invest more time.
A wildly entertaining program? Attempt more ideas.
An extremely successful album? Produce more music.
A top notch photography portfolio? Take more pictures.

Desire greater quality? Try more quantity.

Will this work all the time?

Probably not.

Will it work for you?

Yup.

#230 - WHY POPULARITY DOESN'T MATTER

Not enough “fans?”
Not enough “friends?”
Not enough “followers?”

Not enough customers?
Not enough page views?
Not enough subscribers?

Not enough coverage?
Not enough attention?
Not enough popularity?

Who cares?!?

Continue to create the art that is within you for the same reason why you started creating your art in the first place…

Because it’s what you love to do.

#229 - THE POSSIBILITIES

They are many.
They are exciting.
They are within reach.

Possibilities bring me hope.

They motivate me.
They encourage me.
They spur me on to continue to pursue my dreams.

Possibilities bring me excitement.

I am so thankful for the possibilities!

Especially when I get a sense that the possibilities are being arranged and orchestrated by God.

#228 - THE UNCONVENTIONAL WAY TO BECOMING A BETTER LEADER

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Are you following well?

Loving those who lead you?
Supporting those whom you serve?
Caring for those who are in charge?

Or are you Arrogant? Selfish? Prideful?

My encouragement for you today is this – Follow well.

Pray for your leaders.
Be there for your leaders.
Go the extra mile for your leaders.

I know, you are a leader too.

But can we really expect of those who follow us what we wouldn’t expect of ourselves?

#227 - OF THIS YOU CANNOT LET GO

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Hold on to what you see.

Though your vision has yet to materialize.
Though your dream has yet to come to pass.
Though your hope has yet to become a reality.

Hold on to what you see.

Keep the colors bold.
Keep the images sharp.
Keep the pictures clear.

Hold on to what you see.

You have been given the vision.
You have been given the assignment.
You have been given the insight into what the future holds.

Hold on to what you see.

Because the time will soon come when…

What you so clearly see is where you will lead many people to be.

Believe it.

#225 - THE SINGLE GREATEST INVESTMENT YOU CAN EVER MAKE

This investment is low risk, high return.

It is the single greatest investment you can ever make.

To make this investment would be wise.
To not make this investment would be a tragedy.

It is the single greatest investment you can ever make.

This investment should not be a choice but, instead, a responsibility.
What you have to gain by making this investment far outweighs what you have to lose.
Though this investment will yield a high return while you are living, it will yield an even higher return when you are gone.

It is the single greatest investment you can ever make.

This investment will bless you.
This investment will satisfy you.
This investment will outlive you.

So what, exactly, is this investment in?

People.

#224 - A HUSBAND'S CREED

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My wife is the most important person in my life.

She is the one I will be most consumed with loving.
She is the one I will be most concerned with serving.
She is the one I will be most committed to prioritizing.

My wife will get the best of my time.
My wife will get the best of my ideas.
My wife will get the best of my energy.

My relationship with my wife will be my most treasured relationship.

Why?

Because if I have positively influenced the lives of countless men, women and children but have not won the love, respect and admiration of my wife…

I have failed.

#223 - THE GIFT YOU'VE YET TO OPEN

Obsessed with the vision of our future.

Often times, this is how we feel.

We’re excited about what could be.
We’re consumed with where our lives are headed.
We’re distracted by what we think is going to happen.

All the while, missing out on the beauty of now.

This is not healthy.

We need to embrace…

The people we are blessed to serve…now.
The team we are fortunate to work with…now.
The opportunities that have been placed before us…now.

Why exactly is “now” so important?

Because the truth is,

The present is a gift.

A gift containing joy.
A gift containing possibility.
A gift containing…

our future.

#222 - THE ONE CHARACTER TRAIT YOU MUST AVOID IF YOU WANT GOD ON YOUR SIDE

Swimming upstream.
Running against the wind.
One step forward, two steps back.

This is a difficult way to make progress.

But as of late, this is how my journey has felt.

At first, I didn’t understand why, but this past week I was reminded of a simple truth that clearly explains my struggle…

God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.
1 Peter 5:5

Simply stated: God stands not on the side of those who have pride.

And the truth is, I have been prideful.

I have been harboring an attitude which can be characterized by statements like:

I know it all.
I have all the answers.
I have nothing left to learn.

And in light of the statement above made by the Apostle Peter, I am not surprised by the opposition I have been feeling.

God does not show favor to those who are filled with pride. He opposes them.

Therefore,

I must remain teachable.
I must remember how inexperienced I really am.
I must recognize the tremendous value that others can add to my life.

I must humble myself.

Or face the alternative:

A life absent of God’s favor.

#221 - THE THREE LIFE LESSONS I'M LEARNING RIGHT NOW

I have so much to learn.

There are so many ways in which…

I fall short. I’m immature. I need to grow.

So with that said, here are three lessons I’m currently struggling to learn:

1. RID YOURSELF OF PRIDE.

I do not know it all.

So why do I walk, talk and treat others like I do?

2. VALUE THE PRESENT.

Today matters most.

So why am I always so consumed with tomorrow?

3. PRIORITIZE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR WIFE.

A happy wife is a happy life.

So why do I invest so little time and energy doing the things that would make her happy?

These lessons are not easy ones to learn, but I am committed to learning them.

Over the next three days, I am going to share how and why I am struggling with each lesson and what action steps I’m taking to ensure that these lessons are, once and for all, learned.

#220 - THE ONE FRIEND YOU NEED

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words. – Unknown

That friend is aware of your big dream.
That friend is supportive of your major goal.
That friend is understanding of your primary purpose.

Do you have “that friend” in your life?

Why do I ask?

Because there will come a day when…

The dream will fade away.
The goal will seem unattainable.
The purpose will not be worth pursuing.

And when that day comes…

“That friend” will be the most important person you know.

#219 - THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION YOU WILL EVER ASK

Millions saw the apple fall but Newton was the one who asked why. – Bernard Baruch

I am on a mission.

To resist, but also to learn.
To create tension, but also to ease pain.
To dispel myths, but also to reveal truths.

Who am I?

I am not OK with the status quo.
I am not satisfied with the current situation.
I am not content to just sit around and do nothing.

Who am I?

I am the reason why problems are solved.
I am the reason why people are taught.
I am the reason why progress is made.

Who am I?

I am the question…

“Why?“

#218 - I CAN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE

To the degree we’re not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control over us than we have of ourselves. – Peter McWilliams

I’ve gotta’ go.

Though this place is familiar.
Though this place is full of great memories.
Though this place is where many of my first victories were won…

I must leave.

I’m not growing in this place.
I’m not learning in this place.
I’m not developing in this place.

And the longer I stay, the more I will suffer.

This place does not force me to take risks.
This place does not challenge me to be bold.
This place does not expect me to become better than what I am.

This place is where my dreams will die.

So where, exactly, is this place I speak of?

My comfort zone.

And as of today, this is a place to which I will never return.